Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ATLANTA) — The United States men’s national team impressed early against Belgium. Then the wheels fell off.
A first-half lead in Saturday’s high-profile World Cup warmup match against Belgium — FIFA’s No. 9 ranked squad — melted away as the USA conceded four straight goals in front of a heavily pro-USA crowd of 66,867 fans at the home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United.
Weston McKennie put coach Mauricio Pochettino’s team ahead in the 39th minute by deftly redirecting an Antonee “Jedi” Robinson corner kick past Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The visitors equalized before the first half was over, though, when fullback Zeno Debast’s low rocket flew through a sea of bodies, past the outstretched hand of USA keeper Matt Turner and into the bottom corner of the net.
Belgium got another shortly after the break, then scored three more as they ran away with the second-to-last match before Pochettino must select his final 26-player World Cup roster, though the Americans did pull one back late via second half substitute Patrick Agyemang.
“Of course, [losing] 5-2 is all the time troublesome to just accept,” Pochettino stated afterward. “It is painful. However on the similar time, I believe we have to take so many constructive issues.”
Listed below are my takeaways:
1. USA Faltered Within the Second Half
Pochettino’s aspect entered the match on a three-match profitable streak, all towards World Cup-bound foes. However Belgium is healthier than any of these groups by a ways. And nonetheless the USA matched them nearly evenly within the first half, even when the visitors had nearly 60 p.c of possession and another shot heading in the right direction. Solely an excellent (and fortunate) save by Senne Lammens on McKennie’s earlier shot within the opening stanza saved the sport scoreless nearly till the intermission.
With former Manchester Metropolis midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and present Man Metropolis star ahead Jeremy Doku main coach Rudi Garcia’s assault, Belgium examined a USA backline lacking injured heart again Chris Richards repeatedly, largely to no avail.
Central midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Johnny Cardoso lined when fullbacks Robinson and Tim Weah bombed ahead, repeatedly irritating the Pink Devils. Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie held agency, whereas Turner made a collection of acrobatic saves in his first begin since shedding the No. 1 job to Matt Freese final June.
“The primary half was actually good,” Pochettino added. “We performed higher than Belgium.” But they led the competition for simply six of the 90 minutes.
“We created plenty of alternatives,” an admittedly “annoyed” Weah instructed reporters in a quiet post-game second. “When you do not put these alternatives away, and the opposite group has their alternatives, they usually put them away, the sport can change.”
The profitable streak is over. A 5-2 loss is disappointing, at finest. However primarily based on the efficiency, the lopsided scoreline was most likely a bit bit harsh on the house squad.
“This group,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia stated of the USA, “is healthier than the outcome tonight.”
It was additionally a vital, well timed reminder that there aren’t any ethical victories on the highest degree. It’s higher to be taught that lesson in March than in June. “I favor one other outcome,” stated Pochettino. “But when it must occur now, it is higher as a result of we all know what we’re going to face within the subsequent within the subsequent recreation, or within the subsequent video games.”
2. Silver Linings? ‘Jedi’ and Matt Turner Stood Out
Turner performed each minute of the USA’s 4 matches on the 2022 World Cup. Antonee “Jedi” Robinson was on the sector for all however the ultimate moments of the spherical of loss to the Netherlands in Qatar. However each veterans had been out of Pochettino’s lineup for many of the Argentine’s tenure — Robinson due to harm, Turner due to the emergence of Freese. However each returned to Poch’s beginning lineup on Saturday.
And whereas Jedi’s return — U.S. Soccer’s male participant of the yr in 2024 didn’t make a single look final yr due to knee points — was anticipated, Turner’s was the largest shock earlier than the match towards the Pink Devils kicked off.
Jedi appeared pretty much as good as ever, simply as he has achieved with Fulham within the Premier League. And Turner justified Pochettino’s resolution by making a collection of nice stops throughout an general assured show, even when his poor clearance led to a objective that was solely dominated out as a result of it inadvertently deflected in off ahead Charles De Ketelaere’s arm. Turner’s finest save of all might need been on the play that led to De Bruyne’s profitable penalty, with Turner tipping the ball over his crossbar after it hit Ream’s hand and altered trajectory.
“That, for me, wasn’t penalty,” Pochettino stated, including of Turner: “It is good to see him to carry out after an extended interval.”
A visibly dejected Turner felt the hosts let the decision – and the two-goal deficit – crush their resistence. “Although it is 3-1, there’s nonetheless all to play for,” he stated. “We have to stay collectively, and that is one thing that we are able to positively take away from this recreation as a studying.”
3. Pochettino Went With Greatest Out there Gamers
Richards wasn’t the one projected World Cup starter lacking on Saturday. Tyler Adams, who captained the Individuals on the final World Cup in Qatar, is injured. So is true again/winger Sergiño Dest. But Poch nonetheless bought his finest out there gamers on the sector, deploying Weah as an out of doors defender even with pure proper again Joe Scally out there. (Scally got here on late within the second half.)
At his core, Poch is a pragmatist. His lineup selections on Saturday confirmed as a lot — and supplied a preview of what USA followers can count on by way of personnel choices when their World Cup marketing campaign begins in earnest on June 12 versus Paraguay in Los Angeles. Who fills these spots is one other matter. With simply three extra tuneup video games to go earlier than then, there are nonetheless loads of lineup questions remaining.
“The gamers that have been on the bench, they have been supporting the beginning 11 in a tremendous means,” Pochettino stated. “They’re going to have the likelihood to play within the subsequent recreation.”
4. One other Large Check Awaits
Belgium is nice. Superb. Reigning UEFA Nations League champions Portugal — FIFA’s sixth ranked aspect and the group that the USA will shut out the March window in Tuesday’s match in Atlanta — is even higher. That’s a scary thought. But it’s additionally a chance to proper Saturday’s wrongs nearly instantly and finish this month on a decidedly brighter notice.
“I need to win, in the beginning,” Turner stated of subsequent Tuesday’s tilt. “I need the followers to depart this stadium our group and saying that that is a group I can establish with…I believe all of us felt like we should always have and will have achieved higher at this time.”
4 ½. What’s Subsequent?
Time to regroup for that Tuesday recreation towards Portugal, who took on Mexico on Saturday evening on the re-opening of the famed Estadio Azteca.
The Portuguese are with out celebrity Cristiano Ronaldo throughout this swing by means of North America, however there’s nonetheless tons of high quality star energy, like Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes and PSG dynamic duo Nuno Mendes and Vitinha. The USA can have its arms full, little doubt. The mission continues to be clear.
“We’d like,” Weah stated, “to bounce again.”
